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Common Mistakes to Avoid when Cleaning Your Window Treatments

Custom Roman Shades

You put a lot of time and money into adding the right window treatments to your home or office to elevate the style and sophistication of your interior spaces and ensure optimal function, including adjusting lighting and privacy and regulating temperature and noise pollution. It’s only natural to want to keep your window dressings spotless to ensure longevity and an attractive and inviting atmosphere.

However, you can’t necessarily clean drapes, blinds, shades, and shutters the same way you might scrub other surfaces in your home. If you want to properly clean and maintain your window treatments for years to come, you need to avoid common cleaning mistakes. Here are a few that the average homeowner or facilities manager might not think about.

Neglecting Instructions

You wouldn’t tackle an oil change without first going through some online tutorials, would you? Why, then, do you assume you can clean your high-end window treatments without reading cleaning instructions?

While auto repairs are probably a bit more complex than cleaning your blinds or shades, the truth is that window treatments still require attention to detail, starting with knowing what the manufacturer recommends. Keep in mind that manufacturers have run tests and determined the best way to maintain and preserve the pristine appearance of their products and ensure longevity. Following their instructions is key.

Using the Wrong Cleaning Solvents

This is a big problem. It’s extremely common for homeowners to assume that all-in-one products that work on other surfaces are fine for window treatments, but this isn’t the case. Just as you can’t use the same cleaning solvents on ceramic tile and natural stone, you can’t use the same cleansers on shades and shutters as you would on windows, countertops, or carpeting.

The first thing you should know is that mild products are almost always better. Strong chemicals could fade textiles, strip away finishes, and essentially ruin your beautiful window treatments. You can always use spot treatments for tough stains, but generally speaking, gentle cleansers designed for your type of window dressing are best.

Over-Saturating

In many cases, simple dusting and vacuuming are enough to prevent the buildup of dust, dirt, and grime on your window treatments, but occasionally you will need more. Often, all it takes is little more than wiping down window treatments with a damp cloth or sponge, but you have to be careful not to oversaturate as even water can stain textiles or cause warp or rot in wood if you over-saturate.

Leaving Spots

Whenever you see spots or staining on window treatments, it’s best to treat immediately, before the stain has time to set in, if you want the best chance to eliminate it without harming window dressings. If you don’t happen to notice spots until later, don’t assume that regular cleaning will treat them. You’re going to need a spot cleaner specifically designed for the task to treat the spot before you clean the entire surface.

When you’re ready to update the window treatments in your home with new drapes, blinds, shades, or shutters, contact the qualified professionals at The Blinds Side at 410-630-6940 or [email protected] for consultation, design, and installation services.